Normandy

Normandy is a region in the North of France, overlooking the La Manche channel. In 1066, the Duke of Normandy, William the Conqueror, invaded England and became king. A century and a half later, in 1204, the king of France, Philip Augustus, invaded the Duchy of Normandy and incorporated it into the royal domain, with the exception of Jersey and Guernsey, which remained under the British crown. From then on, the mainland became a French province, while the Channel Islands remained under the sovereignty of the British monarchs.

After the French Revolution, the region was divided into five sub-regions: Calvados, Manche, Orne, Eure and Seine-Inférieure (renamend Seine-Maritime in 1955). The local climate is mild, favourable for livestock breeding and the cultivation of apples (the region counts approximately 10 million apple trees), so no wonder that the Normandy cusine goes famous for Calvados, apple cider and famous cheese like Camembert, Pont l'Evêque and Livarot. The Calvados, a 40 degrees brandy made with apples or pears, is obtained by the distillation of cider. The sparkling cider wine is also used for making food, like the famous Normandy sauce, or the “Tripes à la mode de Caen”.